“You have no idea how difficult it is for us to keep our position these days with councilmen hunting us like we are criminals and then vampires looking at us as if we are their prey.
Not only nobles but the whole empire is in turmoil and I have heard that a few commoners are planning to rebel and take over the empire.
? If that happens then we will lose our position. The empire could not stay without a ruler for long who could bring their faith again.
But…” the woman bit her lips and looked away. It looked like she wanted to stay further but was hesitant to say so.
“But what?” Hazel held the shoulders of the girl and squeezed them gently assuring her that she was all ears to her.
“Lord Rafael.. He asked the nobles to be his feed for a lifetime by making the bond of blood that would follow all the future generations too.
The nobles are scared of being hunted by him.
You are his wife and noble. You are our last hope, Hazel.
Please, help us.” Though the girl was not kneeling yet, there was desperation in her voice.
Hazel noticed a lot more nobles were looking at her with the same expressions as if she was their lost hope and each of them had a sincerity and fear filled face.
“This is not the place where we can talk freely. Many eyes were on us.” the girl smiled and hugged Hazel, “if you want to know more attend my tea party tomorrow. I will take you to the commoners and all the boys who are desperate for the solutions.
You would never understand the condition if you did not see it with your eyes. You are our last hope hazel, please do not abandon us.” the girl whispered slowly in the ears of hazel with the pretense of hugging her and then let go.
Hazel could already feel many eyes turning to look at them as if they wanted to know what they were talking about.
Vampires have strong ears and senses, though Hazel knew that they were all there for her safety, she could understand the fear of the woman.
Hazel nodded her head bringing a feeling of relief on the face of the woman who squeezed her hands before leaving.
Was that it?
Hazel sat again on the table. She could feel the many eyes of the noble ladies on her but no one came forward to talk to her when she waited. She felt like a goat bound in the middle of the forest as a boat for the tiger to hunt.
Tsk! If no one is coming then I would rather go and eat.
She stood up and walked towards the table where assortments are decorated well. She did not wait for a maid to come and serve her.
She scanned the whole table before picking up the tart that looked appetizing.
“I never knew that even after being the empress, you are so free spirited.” She raised a brow as she saw a man approaching her with a smile on his face and a glass of wine in his hands.
“Most of the women are trained well to behave in a certain way like a caged animal.
But you have done a tremendous job in staying the same even after being the sacrificial lamb to the vampires.
It felt so surreal to see that you are the one who tamed the lord of the vampires.” he raised his glass as if he was congratulating her for her feat.
“You are expressing it as if I am a beast tamer and Rafael is a wild animal.” she scoffed as she looked at her empty hands when the man chuckled.
He stopped a passing waiter and picked up a glass of wine from the tray.
Passing it to her, he waited patiently until she cheered back and then took a sip. But she took no initiative. She touched the corner of the glass with her perfectly trimmed long nails while his eyes observing him as if piercing his soul and looking at his objectives when the man laughed again.
“I have not spiked the drink. If you do not trust me then I can take a sip to assure you.
Only a fool would do this when you are guarded so precisely by so many humans and vampires both.” he took another sip of his drink as he successfully pointed at three of her guards with his eyes making her eyes squint.
“You are smart. Then I am sure you are not here only to tell me that you are impressed by me because I picked up my own food?” she asked back with a challenging look in her eyes as she took a sip of the drink.
A smile formed on his lips. His eyes twinkled with mirth in them.
“No! I am here to congratulate you for getting your soul intact even after passing through hell.”
Then he leaned closer. Surprisingly everyone today wanted to whisper in her ears as if she was their lover.
She rolled her eyes but did not move away as the man piqued her curiosity.
“And I know who you are. I can smell the power coming from you.
When we have felt your presence and started to search for you, i have never thought that i will be the first to find you and that also here.” he chuckled softly and took a sniff as if he was her lover when she take a step back and noticed that the eyes of the man turned silver for a second before turning blue again.
“We were looking for you. Since the first generation of witches is either dead or in hiding. We have faced a lot of troubles in surviving. The vampires are always hunting us.
Who would have thought our queen would be the wife of their lord.” a heavy sarcasm and hatred towards vampire in his voice,
“I want you to come back and join us in the war against them.”